Liquid-feeding device.



UNITED lsirarns` 'PATENT Enron;

LDFARD A. LARSON, OF CHICGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 STEWART-'WARNER SPEEB- @METER CORlPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F VIRGINA.

' LIQUID-FEEDING navrcie'.y

Specification of Letters Patent. Ptggyd Sept," 14, 19153 l Applicationr filed March 12, 1915. Serial No. 14,027.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I,v EDWARD A. .Lfmsom a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Feeding Devices, of `which the following `is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. y

'I'his invention relates to a liquidfeeding system which involves drawing the liquid from a low`level supply toan elevated receptacle by producing a partial vacuum in the receptacle, and then periodically ermitting the liquid thus elevated to ovv by gravity to the point of use.

The invention is directed to simplifying the mechanism in the elevated receptacle without sacricing the certainty of the operation, and consists in the features and elements' described hereinafter and 'shown in the drawings as indicated by the claims.

In thedrawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a receptacle and the mechanism contained therein embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar section illustrating a modified form of the invention.

This device is especially designed for use.

on motor vehicles employing liquid fuel, being adapted for transferring the fuel from a low-level tank carried in any convenient position as under the vehicle at the rear, to the carbureter lassociated with the explosive engine, and generally located above the level of the supply tank. l

The receptacle which is the subject of this invention is positioned somewhat above the carbureter float chamber,- so that the fuel lifted by it from the low-level tank may flow from it by gravity into thecarbureter chamber. As illustrated in the drawings,

the receptacle comprises an outer chamber,

. 1, and an inner chamber, 2, each bein-g a flanged cup, and the latter being suspended within the former, withA its Aflange, 2, secured in position above the flange, l, of the outer vessel. The cup elosure'consists of a cover, 3, havi, a. flange, 3, with a skirt portion, 3b, ov rhanging the tlanges, 1a and 2a, of both vessels.` These elements are secured together by means of screws, 4, passing through the flange, 1, into tapped holes in a ring, 5, and screws, 6,- passing through he flanges, 3 vand 21,vintoA other tapped holes in the same ring, 5. Preferably, packing rings, 7, are interposedat both faces of the flange, 2a, to insure that the interior -of v the vessel, 2, shall he air-tight, but this precaution is not deemed necessary in' the case lolf thel vessel, 1, which in fact is provided `with a constantly open atmospheric'vent l formed by crimping the flange, 1, at 1", thus forming a passage which communicates with thenarrow annular space, 1, between the side -walls of the vessel, 1 and 2, and leads to the chamber formed by the vessel, 1. The lower end of the vessel, 1, is tted With a. large threaded flange or neck, ld,..which may be screwed directly on tothe oat 'chamber of a carbureter or to a conduit leading to the same.

From vthe low-level supply tank, 'not shown, a pipe leads into the cover, 3, by way of a fitting, 8. Through a rather small opening at 9, the receptacle is intended to be kept in constant communication with a source of suction, such as,A the intake manifold of the engine or an auxiliary exhaust pu1np,as may be preferred. As a partial vacuum is thus produced in the receptacle, 2, the liquid from the low-level supply tank is Acaused to flow into the receptacle, and in so doing tends to raise the`loat, 10, which is mounted therein'.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the stem, 10a, of the float, 10, is connected pivotallv to a lever, l1, fulcrumed at 12, on the cover 3, and car,- rying a fiat spring, 13, secured to its outer or free end by a screw, 14. The opposite and free end of the spring 13, which is 'quite close to the fulcrum, 12, supports a valve, 15, which controls the air vent opening, 16, through which atmospheric pressure is periodically restored in the receptacle, 2. t will be understood that by reason of the suction` within the receptacle, 2, the air valve 1 5, will he held quite firmly on its seat, so that as the liquid level in the reeeptacle, 2, rises, and the float, l0, is thus elevated, the spring, 13, 'will be slightly dedected toward the lever, 11, and the rising of the float, 10, maybe retarded so that the dont will not stand quite up to its normal up in the float and in the spring, 13, is suf-- (icient to snap the valve, 15, open against the atmospheric pressure acting upon it.-

The spring, 13, having previously been compressed `tovvard the lever, 1l, and being now' released, will obviously support the valve, l5. clear above the aperture which it controls. thus givingT free access of atmosphere to the interior o l the vessel, 2; and since the aliiiospherie opening, 1.6, is of considerably greater area than the suction aperture, 9, the etlcct ot' the suction will be completely neutralized as loue' as the valve, 153, remains l'pon the admission ot' atmospheric pressure to the vessel. 2. the liquid accumu lated. therein will flow by 'gravity into or through the lower chamber formed by the 1, which is constantly under atmospheric pressure, automatically opening.,Y the .-lapvali'e. 17, provided tor this purpose. il'heii rellceil pressure is afrain restored in the vessel. the valve, 17, will be held shut tleffrrbv iu an obvious manner.

1 a moditication ot the structure above described, Fig. 2 illustrates the float,10, as loosely iiioiiiitefl upon its stem. 18, which is also the .eiii ot tlie'air valve, 19, controlling admi-'1. interior ot' the vessel, 2. At its lowest position 'the float, 10, hangs upon a collar, 18, on the stein, 18, thus, holding the valve, 19, closed. but as the float, 10, beginsto rise with an increase ot' liquid level in the receptacle. it supports-the valve, 19, yieldingly upon a very light spring, Q0, coiled about (he stein. 1S, and engaging a stop collar, 21, \f.ured thereto just below the atmospheric opening', The collar, Q1, is notched so that when siillicient upward pressure has been acI cimiulaicd in the form of buoyant force actvessel inev on the float, and energy stored in the spi-ine; by compression thereof, the valve, 19, will be snapped olli' its seat and its upward movement will be limited by engagement of the stop, 21, with the underside of the por tion of the' cover, 3, in which the atmos plier-ic opening is formed, but the stop, 21, will not operate to close the opening. It will be noted, that in this form also the atmospheric opening controlled by the valve, is quite large relatively to the suction' aperture, 9, so that considerable pressure must be accumulated by the float to overcome the eiiect of the suction on the valve, 19, but so that when the valve, 19, isl open the large capacity of the atmospheric opening will entirely neutralize. the eliect of the ,suction at 'the aperture. 9. In former de- 'vices for this purpose' the more successful -construction has involved a mechanism for simultaneously opening the atmospheric .vent and closing the suction aperture, and 01', simultaneously rcversingthis arrangement, but sucli' mechanism necessarily involvesm'considerable complication and evp'ense to insure proper adjustment of the tivo valves ,relatively to each other so that .their operation4 maybe properly simultiineous.

even though the aperture, 9, is not' .on ot the atmospheric pressure to the It maybe observed that the above de-` scribed construction, in which the suction connection opening is comparatively .small and remains constantly open, might perhaps be operated simply by a float connected directly to the stem ot' the atmospheric vent alve. But if the float were large enough to easily overcome the pressure on the atmos-l pheric valve, it would tend to raise it only just enough at first to neutralize the effect of the suction at 9, without however actually introducing atmospheric pressure into'the receptacle, 2.v This would preventp'o'r at least render very uncertain, the release of the liquid by way of the valve, 17, and the atmospheric valve would vsimply .tend to vacillate between slightly opcii and closed position, rendering the entire operation of the devlce very uncertain and unsatisfactory.

It has been found thatif the float isj'so designed that-its rise in the liquid will lie. substantially retarded by'the atmosplieridf pressure on the valve, thus rendering the :1c-N cuniulation of hiio'yant force in the float the spring shown, the necessary dimension' of the float ,and the receptaclewould be awk ward and inconvenient for the purpose. It is, therefore', deemed much preferable to .equivalentto the accumulation of energy in make the float of anyconvenier'it dimen- 95 sions, such as those shown, and suiliciently large to furnish an excess of power for opening the valve, and then to supplement its action vwith the action of a light spring,

which will yield as the float rises and until' 100 the valve snaps open, butwhich will be stiff enough to support the valve at Some distance above the aperture.. In this way the operation is rendered positive and uniform.

I claim l 1. A device for the purpose indicated, comprising a chamber adapted for connection with a. lowlevel liquid supply and with a source of suction, the suction connection comprising a constantly open orifice of comparatively small capacity, said chamber havingl an atmospheric air vent of largecapacityfa valve controlling said vent, a fioat il`1 the chamber, and a yielding connection between said valve and said float.

2. A device for the purpose indicated, comprising,r a chamber adapted for connection with a low-level liquid supply and with a source of suction, ,the suction connection comprising a constantly open orificevotl coml comprising a constantly open paratively small capacity, said chamber hav-V ing an atmospheric airivent 4of large capacity, a lvalve controllin said vent; a lever ulc'rumedjin the cham r, said valve being connected tosaid lever near its fulcr and A a oatfin the chamber connectedto' the leve!` at a-point farther from its fulcrum.

Li. A device for the purpose indicated, comprising a chamber adapted for connection with' a low-level liquid supply and with 'a source of suctomthe suction connection comprisinga. constantlylopen orifice of comparatively small capacity', said chamber having an atmospheric air vent of large capacity, aval Je controllin said vent, a lever fulcrume 'm the ycham er,V means yieldingly conneetingid lever to said valve near lts ulcrum,fand a oat in the chamber connected to the lever at a. point farther from jitsffulcrum. y i

A A. device for the p ur ose indicated,A

`comprising two flanged vesse one of which is suspended withintheiother, a Yring inter-` of threaded apertures, screws passim through the upper flange into certain of sai apertures inthe ring, and other screws passing"through the lower flange into the other apertures of said ring securing the two vessels together.- i

6. A device for the purpose indicated, comprising two flanged vessels, one of which is suspended within the other, with its flange overhanging theflange of the other, an an# nular space being formed between the cylindrical walls of the two vessels, and the flange of the outer vessel being crimped away from oricchfvcx'i-v' l posed between said flanges having a series 25 the Harige of the inner vessel to afford com- A munication betwe n' said annular' space and 10 the outer atmosp ere.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Ghicago, Illinois, this ath day of March, 1915.' v EDWARD A. LARSGN;

Witnesses:

Ro'r. N. BURTON, Enna MAoImosH. 

